


Keep Your Head to the Sky

by pelzeniton



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Hurt/Comfort, Sister-Sister Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-04-09 01:05:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4327968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pelzeniton/pseuds/pelzeniton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sage Johnson already knows that her life is complicated. She has a physically and emotionally scarred mother, a deranged father, and - having recently undergone Terrigenesis - new psychic powers.  However, with the arrival of her long-lost sister Daisy, Sage realizes things can still take a turn for the worst. *Set during Season Two*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to My Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sage has a nightmare and late-night chat with her mother.

 

_Blood was everywhere: on her clothes, her hands, her face. It wasn't her own blood, it belonged to the woman strapped to - what appeared to be - a make shift operation table. She had cuts of varying deepness all over her body._

_"Please, please, just stop! You don't have to do this!" The woman screamed._

_Sage looked down and saw her right hand push the steel scalpel a little deeper into a groove in the woman's chest, causing her to let out a shriek, before roughly pulling it out completely._

_"Tell me where my daughter is, Agent Avery, and this will all be over." Sage heard herself reply. Only, it didn't sound like her voice. The voice belonged to a man. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the metal surface of the bloody scalpel and realized she wasn't - herself. She was her father, Calvin Johnson._

_Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention and she saw her mother enter the abandoned warehouse. She looked the same as she always had to Sage, except her scars were more pronounced - less faded. "Cal. We need to leave soon, more S.H.I.E.L.D agents will be here any minute."_

_Sage watched as Jaiying's gaze shifted to Agent Avery. She had never seen such a look of contempt, of unadulterated hatred cross her mother's features before. "Did she give you any information?"_

_"Not yet." Calvin sneered, "but she will." Sage saw her right hand grasp the woman's wrist and squeeze. She felt and heard the crunch of the bones breaking._

_"Enough." Jiaying said over the woman's cries. Calvin immediately released Agent Avery's wrist and took a step back as Jiaying approached her. She placed both of her hands on the woman's cheeks and looked into her eyes. "We know you’re the one who took Daisy. We found her baby blanket in your car. What have you done with her?"_

_Agent Avery averted her eyes and clenched her jaw in defiance. Jiaying sighed and turned towards Calvin. "We don't have the time to break her. The team S.H.I.E.L.D sent will be here soon." Sage felt herself take a step forward, but she stopped when Jiaying held a hand up._

_"No, I've got this. I could use the snack." Sage watched as Avery's pale skin began to take gray tone, darkening with every passing second. The agent's mouth hung open in a silent scream as Jiaying literally drained the life from her..._

 

* * *

 

Sage jerked awake, gasping for air. She sat up, taking deep breaths, as she tried to regain her bearings. She took note of her surroundings. She was in her bed, inside her room, located in the house she shared with her mother.

 

It was just a dream.

 

A memory?

 

The twenty-year-old sighed. She wasn't sure what to call the night terrors she experienced sporadically ever since her Terrigenesis. Three months ago, she was gifted with, what her mother called, psychometry. If she concentrated on an object long enough she experienced its history. She could see its past users and feel all their emotions and sensations. The more emotionally charged the object was, the stronger the connection, the stronger Sage was sucked in.

 

After Sage emerged from the mist, it took a month for her to figure out what her powers were. She was looking through her father’s old first aid kit - the only thing she had of his - when she was sucked into a memory of him _piecing her mother back together with it_. It had not been pleasant to say the least, and her mother, horrified, took the kit away from her. It was too late though, other memories associated with the medical tools - specifically, the scalpel - had drifted to her in the following months.

 

She never told her mother the things she knew.

 

With a shaking hand, Sage threw off her duvet and headed for the kitchen. Having lived in this house her whole life, Sage navigated it with ease - even under the cover of darkness. The house was small with just two bedrooms, a bathroom and kitchen. Cozy was the term Sage always associated with it. It was the only full-time living quarters in the Afterlife.

 

Once she arrived in the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of cold water from the sink and gulped it down. She nearly dropped the empty glass when the lights suddenly turned on. Sage turned from her position leaning against the sink to see Jiaying standing in kitchen entryway.

 

"H...Hey, Mom. I didn’t think you’d be home for a few days.”

 

“I know, my meeting with the Elders ended earlier than expected. After two weeks, we actually managed to finally -” Jiaying paused, giving Sage a once-over. The girl was tense and avoiding eye contact. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, I just had a nightmare. The usual.” Sage, shrugged.

 

Jiaying took a seat at the kitchen island and gestured at the empty stool next to her. Sage followed the unspoken command and joined her mother. “The one where your father finds me after Hydra?”

 

“Um, yeah.” She lied.

 

“I’m sorry you keep having to see that.”

 

“I’m sorry you had to experience it,” Sage replied, honestly. Jiaying placed a hand on Sage’s shoulder in comfort - well, it was meant to be comforting, but Sage flinched - the events of her nightmare still on her brain.

 

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

“Do you ever miss him?” Sage asked suddenly.

 

“Who?”

 

“Dad.” Sage shook her head, “I mean Calvin. Do you miss him? It’s obvious he loved you. Since he, you know, diligently pieced you back together with his bare hands and all.”

 

Jiaying shook her head at her daughter’s language, before tilting her head slightly in thought. “Sometimes,” she eventually answered. “But your father isn’t the same man he was when we first met. I’m certainly not the same woman.”

 

“Is that why you never told him about me?”

 

“Mostly.” Sage bit her lip and nodded slowly.

 

“Have you gotten anything from the baby blanket yet?” Jiaying asked, changing the subject.

 

Sage hesitated. “Not yet,” she lied for the second time that night. At Jaiying’s frown, she continued. “Look, Mom, it’s not as easy as it seems. I don’t just touch the object and poof! It’s more complicated than that. Plus, the blanket is from over 20 years ago.”

 

If Jiaying was surprised by the outburst, she didn’t show it. “I’m well aware, but so was your father’s first aid kit and you tapped into that just fine, without even meaning too.”

 

Sage released an audible breath. “Mom…” Three knocks in rapid succession on the front door halted her words. Jiaying gave her a look clearly stating that is this talk wasn’t over before getting up to answer it.

 

“Gordon? It’s late, what is so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?” Curious, Sage walked over and joined Jiaying in the doorway. She’d never seen Gordon so out of sorts. The usually shakeable man was breathing heavy and... smiling. Why was he smiling?

 

“Jaiying, I just heard that you were back. A lot happened while you were away. It’s Daisy. Cal found her and she’s gone through the Change. She’s… she’s here.”

 

Sage’s mouth dropped open in shock. _Oh, no._

 

Jaiying’s eyes darted from Gordon to Sage back to Gordon. Her face shifted from a look of confusion to bewilderment and finally, to crisp determination. She charged forward, beckoning Sage to follow her. “Show us,” she demanded.

 

* * *


	2. Awkward Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sage and Skye meet.

* * *

 

"Are you sure about this?"

"Sage, you don't have to whisper." Jiaying replied with an amused smirk. "She's going to be out for a while. Your voice alone, as irksome as it can be, will not be enough to rouse her."

Sage's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Did you just… Mom… Wow."

Jiaying rolled her eyes. "You act as if I've never cracked a joke before." At Sage's pointed look, she cleared her throat. "Anyway, regarding your question.  _Yes._ I'm sure about this. Daisy needs to decide on her own if she wants to stay here. If she knows who we are before her decision is made she'll feel backed into a corner."

"Fine." Sage sighed. "What about the other thing?"

"My mind isn't going to change, Sage. You will be Daisy's… I mean  _Skye's_  transitioner."  _The new name is going to take some adjustment._ Jiaying thought to herself.

"Mom, I can't..." Sage gestured wildly at Skye's still form. A few feet away, the young woman was fast asleep with several small needles inserted into the exposed skin of her midriff. The small room was illuminated with dozens of yellow candles. A nearby monitor was lit up, displaying a portion of Skye's post-Terrigenesis cells. "She just went through the Change all rogue style. I'm thinking she's going to need the big guns. Like, you or maybe you should call Lincoln. I've barely even had my own powers for three months."

"You're nearly done with your transitioner training. I'm confident that you will do just fine." As Sage's head began to fall in defeat, Jiaying gently reached her pointer finger under her daughter's chin, lifting it. "You will," she assured. "Plus, she won't even know if you're screwing up. She's not familiar with our ways yet." Jiaying smirked.

When Sage's lips lifted in a small smile, Jiaying released her. "Why don't you stay here for a while. Watch over her." Sage nodded, and Jiaying turned to leave. Before she reached the exit to the healing room Sage's voice caught her attention.

"Mom?" Jaiying faced Sage and the girl continued. "It's nice to see you so happy."

Jiaying smiled back, a brilliant smile, brighter than any one Sage had seen on her face before. "Take care of her."

After Jiaying's departure, Sage studied her sister's still form.  _Here for 20 hours, and you've already made Mom happier than I have in 20 years._ She pulled a chair up next to Skye's bedside, sat down and cracked open the latest transitioner guidebook released by the Elders. Anything to squelch the self-loathing that was threatening to swallow her whole.

* * *

To say Skye was confused when she woke up would be an understatement. She was  _floored_.  _Well, I'm not in Kansas anymore_. She thought as her eyes drifted down her body.  _Are those needles? Hmm. They don't hurt, at least._

A soft snore from her right abruptly halted her thoughts. Her eyes zeroed in on the source of the noise. It was a girl. She had short, dark brown hair that barely reached her chin. Her skin complexion was nearly identical to Skye's own, except for the small freckles donning her cheeks. The girl had a book propped on her chest that moved up and down in sync with every snore she let out. Her head was angled towards Skye, hanging off of the chair she was seated in.

Skye cleared her throat loudly.

The girl didn't budge. Skye shook her head minutely with disbelief. " **HELLO!** " she yelled.

The girl jerked awake so suddenly that the chair she was in began to tilt. Skye saw a look of panic flicker in the girl's sleep-hazed eyes, but it was too late. The girl managed to let out a small squeak before both she and the chair hit the floor with a dull thud.

"Are you alright?" Skye called from her position lying on the cot. At the sound of Skye's voice the girl quickly forced herself to her feet. She thrusted a hand out to Skye.

"Hi! I'm Sage!"

"Uhh. Sage. I would shake your hand right now, but I can't move."

"Oh, right! Right…" Sage muttered, lowering her hand. "I knew that."

"Where am I?"

"You're in uhh… a safe place. Do you remember calling Gordon?" At Skye's nod she continued. "Well, he brought you here."

"How long have I been out?"

"About two days. I…"

"What?!" Skye exclaimed, cutting her off. "I can't stay here. I need to go."

"Go... Where?" Sage inquired slowly, clearly puzzled.

Skye closed her eyes, concentrating. After a brief struggle she opened them, breathing heavily. "You know, it would be really helpful if I could move. What are you  _doing_  to me?"

"It's complicated." At Skye's look of exasperation, Sage amended her statement. "I'll cut to the chase! Going through the Change, or Terrigenesis as we call it, is like going through 1000 years of evolution at once. These treatments help your body adjust to the change quickly and painlessly. We usually like to start the proc…"

"How long will this take? When can I go?" Skye asked abruptly, interrupting Sage again.

Sage shook off the feeling of hurt, "Umm, do you have somewhere else to be?"

"I'm afraid that my friends are in danger. They need my help."

"You're the one in danger." Sage frowned, "Do you remember? By the time Gordon got to you, you were being hunted."

Skye froze as she recalled the events leading up to her frantic call for Gordon.  _Had she killed someone?_

"I'm sorry!" Sage called from where she had begun to pace next to Skye. "I'm no good at this. I'm supposed to be helping you, not causing you to relive bad memories. I'm your transitioner, for goodness sake!"

"Trans.. what now?"

"Transitioner. Oh, right. You don't what that is..."  _Mom is going to kill me,_ Sage thought.

Skye watched as Sage literally face-palmed herself and she felt a twinge of something she couldn't identify for the girl.

"Okay, Sage." Skye began, taking a breath. She pointed her head - the only thing she could currently move - towards the chair. "Why don't you pull that up and tell me all about what a transitioner is? Then, you can take these needles out and show me around. How does that sound?"

Sage looked at Skye, her relief palpable. She shot Skye a grin and complied, bending down to pick up the transitioner guidebook she'd discarded in her fall.

Skye felt herself smile as well, as she followed Sage's movements. The girl had just nearly dropped the book a second time in all her excitement.


	3. Afterlife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sage struggles to balance getting to know Skye with hiding her true heritage.

"How are you feeling?" Sage asked, walking back into the transitioning room. Skye was standing in front of the cot, dressed in the clothes she was wearing when Gordon saved her from the S.H.I.E.L.D agents.

"Better," Skye said, donning her black, leather jacket. "I feel more like myself."

"Good," Sage smiled. "We flushed your lymphatic and circulatory systems, so you might feel weak for a few days."

Skye nodded. "I need to give a message to my friends."

"Gordon is the only one who can make contact with the outside world here. You can talk to him about it when he gets back."

"How long will that take?"

Sage shrugged. "I'm not sure, Gordon comes and goes a lot. Tomorrow is pizza night though, so he'll definitely be back by then, the latest."

"Pizza night?"

Sage leaned in conspiratorially. "Gordon brings in deep dish pizzas in from Chicago. They go pretty quickly, but stick with me and I'll show you the secret to being first in line."

The corners of Skye's mouth quirked upward in a small smile at the girl's antics.  _Maybe I should give this place a try._ "Where exactly are we?" Skye asked.

"The official name is Lai Shi in Chinese, but it doesn't really translate." Sage said walking to the exit. She opened the doors and Skye gasped, following Sage out onto a terrace. Beyond the balcony was one of the most beautiful landscapes Skye had ever seen. It consisted of beautiful green foliage harboring colonies of animals she'd only ever read about. Beyond them lie majestic mountains that seemed endless. The sky was bright blue and full of fluffy white clouds.

Sage chuckled at Skye's blatant gawking. "I'll show you to your room."

* * *

"I feel like the new kid at school, with all the staring." Skye said with a frown. The duo were walking towards the Afterlife's living quarters.

"Huh," Sage commented, realizing everyone was staring Skye. "Usually, I'm the one getting the weird looks. This is new, can't say I'm not liking it…"

At Skye's unimpressed eyebrow quirk, Sage added, "Well, you jumped the line for sure. We only have someone transition every few years. Since our last scheduled transition was only a few months ago, no one was expecting another for a while. Plus, you transitioned old-school in a Kree Temple with a diviner. No one has done that for thousands of years."

"Wow." Skye said sheepishly. "Wait, someone here transitioned a few months ago?"

Sage nodded, hesitantly.

"Can I met her/him, eventually. It would be cool to talk to someone who's just been through this."

"You're looking at her." Sage gestured at herself.

" _You_?" Skye stopped walking and held out an arm to halt Sage, as well. "Aren't you a little young?"

"I resent that," Sage replied, shaking her head. "I'm 20, which is two years above the transitioning age requirement of 18."

"So, the Elders, as you call them, stuck me with the newbie?" Skye quipped with a playful smirk.

"Yes. Believe me, I tried to convince my mother…"

"Your mother is an Elder?!"

 _Shoot._ Sage thought. She was getting dangerously close to Skye's true origins. "Yeah, look. We're getting off topic…"

"So that's why you're usually the one getting the weird looks, because your mom is an Elder?" Skye questioned as the pair resumed their stroll.

"Yep." Sage conceded, "the Afterlife is usually considered a pit stop. People only stay here while they are being evaluated for their potential to transition or while they actually transition. My mother and I are the exception. We both say here full time."

"It must be pretty cool to live here."

"You'd be surprised." Sage grimaced, her mind wandering. It can get pretty lonely." Before Skye could respond, the girl quickly changed the subject.

"We're here!" She exclaimed, gesticulating at a circle of wooden huts. "These are the rooms where the newly transitioned guests stay. Skye noticed that one of the hovels appeared to be in use. The blinds were all drawn and smoke was coming from the chimney.

"Is someone in there?" Skye inquired.

"No, it's umm.. it's being renovated."

Skye eyed her skeptically. "You know, I didn't mention this, but I wasn't the only Inhuman in that Kree Temple. There was another woman, Raina. I know Gordon took her. If she's here…"

"Gordon is pretty secretive about these things. I was told about you because I'm your transitioner. When he gets back, you can talk to him about it. But until then, can I please show you your room. It's pretty cool."

A part of Skye knew the girl was lying. She didn't need to recall May's people-reading-training to tell Sage was nervous. She was wringing her hands together and shifting back and forth on her feet. Another part of Skye, the part that ultimately won out, felt bad for making Sage so anxious and wanted her usual bubbly, quirky self to return.

"Sorry." Skye apologized, shaking the thoughts from her head. "Yeah. Lead the way."

* * *

"You know, this is like my fourth bed in two weeks." Skye sighed, plopping on the queen sized bed in her latest room. She scooted backwards until her head was laying on a pillow. She looked up at Sage and patted the empty area on the bed next to her.

"That's crazy," Sage replied, joining her. "I've only had one bed in 20 years. Excluding my crib, of course."

"Of course." Skye nodded firmly with a smile, nudging Sage with her shoulder.

The two sisters lay on the steel bed in a comfortable silence looking up at the translucent ceiling.

Sage was the first to interrupt. She sat up, legs crossed Indian style, and picked up a white and gray luggage bag from off the floor. "I just remembered, Gordon picked up some of your things from the cabin."

"Cool." Skye opened the bag and began to sift through its contents. "Hey," she said suddenly, looking at Sage. "When do I get to see those powers of yours?"

"They're not all that interesting…" Sage started.

"Come on! Considering that I've only ever seen Gordon's powers and my own. Any powers are cool at this point."

"Fine." Sage relented. "My powers are psychic so it all goes on in here," she pointed towards her head. At Skye's excited nod, she continued. "I don't exactly have it under control yet, but basically I can trace the history of objects by touching them. I can see their past users and experience events involving the objects through the user's eyes. The Elders call it psychometry. According to them, the last person who hand this power hundreds of years ago, eventually could connect to people and see their past experiences, without the need of an object… they think I'll be able to do it. But I'm doubtful."

"Woah!" Skye enthused. "Can I get a demonstration? If it's not too taxing," she amended.

"Yeah, I haven't practiced yet today." Sage replied closing her eyes in concentration. "Could you pass me the gloves in that bag?"

Skye's eyes bulged, as she fished out the gloves. "How'd you know these were in here?"

"They're practically screaming at me." Sage shrugged, hesitantly taking the gloves into her hands. "Okay, here goes nothing." She held the stiff, black gloves tightly and closed her eyes. Sage gasped as she was pulled into a memory:

_She was running fast through a heavily wooded area. Sage looked down at her arms and saw the gloves. "Skye," she thought. "I must be her." Just as Sage reached some sort of control box, hidden behind a few trees, a man wielding a gun appeared behind her. Before Sage had time to process what was happening, her hands grabbed the man by his wrists and pointed his gun up towards the sky. A shot reverberated through the woods._

_Sage and the man seemed equally matched in the hand-to-hand combat fight that followed, before she finally got the upperhand and flipped him to the ground, knocking him out soon after. She picked up the gun he discarded in the fight and aimed it at him._

_The sound of feet hitting the ground caught her attention and she turned to see two more agents approaching her. A man with a short buzz-cut lifted his gun, pointed it at her, and fired. The blonde woman next to her screamed "Skye, no!"_

_Sage felt something stir within her. She dropped the gun and lifted her hands out in front of her. Immediately, a shockwave burst forth from them decimating a nearby tree, sending the agents flying…_

The memory shifted.

_Sage was in some sort of lab, seated on a bench. She felt sad, but determined. That if she could just do this one thing correctly, things would return to normal. Sage looked down and saw the gloves on the table in front of her. She was working on them. She watched her right hand pick up a delicate tool and rearrange a group of wires in one of the gloves. Her hands had a pale complexion, unlike that belonging to Skye._

Skye jumped as Sage jolted from her unmoving zen-like position on the bed, dropping the gloves. The girl's breathing was hitched. Skye slid closer to her on the bed, trying not to hover, but failing. "Sage, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sage breathed.

"What did you see?"

"First, I saw you running from those agents."

"Oh… I'm…" Skye cleared her throat. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Sage shook her head. "I'm sorry you had to experience it." She pointed at the gloves. "Skye, I was literally in your skin for a bit there and I felt what the gloves were doing to you. They're probably the reason why you were out for so long when you first got here."

Skye looked away. "My friend, she…"

"I know." Sage reassured. "One of the memories I saw was of her making the gloves. She cares about you a lot. Her only flaw was the fact that she thought she was dealing with human biology. You graduated from that class."

"Wow, you saw that too?" Skye's awe was apparent. "Your powers are very cool."

"Mine?" Sage replied, incredulous. "Yours are  _awesome_."

Skye shrugged. "For now."

"What do you mean?"

"That's why I called Gordon. To get rid of these powers. I thought he could fix me."

"Skye…" Sage rested a tentative hand on her sister's wrist. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but the transition is irreversible." Sage tried and failed to read the myriad of emotions that flashed across Skye's face at the news. She wracked her brain trying to think of something,  _anything,_ to say to ease the uncomfortable silence that developed in the room.

"But, umm. Trust me," Sage blurted out. "it may not seem like it now, but you're really one of the luckier ones Terrigenesis wise. The other woman Gordon brought had a total physical transformation, and no one has a clue what her gift is yet."

Sage's heart dropped to her feet at her error. She swallowed deeply as Skye frowned, quickly shifting to a standing position.

"What woman?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. Lots of Skye/Sage bonding this chapter. They are so fun to write together. 
> 
> What do you guys think of Lincoln? Should I include him in the story?
> 
> Up Next: Jiaying makes an appearance, Skye is confused, and Sage grows more anxious.


	4. Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaiying makes an appearance, Skye is confused, and Sage grows more anxious.

Sage Johnson is well aware of her shortcomings.

 

She keeps a mental list.

 

She’s short for her age, socially awkward, a clutz (to put it mildly) … the list goes on and on. As she sees the look of betrayal don her sister’s face she thinks of a new item to add to the list.

 

She’s a terrible liar.

 

Skye’s stance resembled a soldier posed to charge into the battlefield. “You lied to me,” she accused. Sage positioned herself in front of the room’s only exit.

 

“Look,” she began, “Raina is on her own path, just like you. She’s having a rough transition and deserves the same care. The whole point of the Afterlife is to serve as a safe place for Inhumans. It’s like rule number one in the guidebooks.”

 

“I don’t care if she’s having a rough transition. She’s done a lot of horrible things…”

 

“I get it. Gordon mentioned that she’s done some shady things, but they were all in an effort to discover the truth about who she really was.”

 

“Don’t make excuses for her, Sage.” Skye ground out. “You don’t understand.”

 

An image of Calvin and Jiaying standing over the bloody and broken body of S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Linda Avery, flashed into Sage’s mind. “Sometimes people do bad things for a good reason.” she said, weakly.

 

“That may be true, but people died because of her. That’s where I draw the line.”

 

Sage held her arms out in an attempt to prevent Skye from leaving the room. “She’s one of us, bottom line. We protect our own here.”

 

“I am not what she is,” Skye practically growled. “How can you stand by and protect a murderer?”

 

Just as Sage looked down, her thoughts drifting to her mother, the room began to shake. Her eyes zeroed in on Skye’s clenched fists.

 

“Get out of my way, Sage,” Skye cautioned, her tone fraught. “You know I can’t control this.” Sage lowered her arms and Skye brushed past her, headed for Raina’s residence. The door slammed shut behind her.

 

Sage stood in the empty room, her mind reeling from the thoughts swirling around in it. _At least I know now that I was doing the right thing_ , she thought to herself, before steeling her nerves and exiting the hut, chasing after Skye.

 

 

* * *

 

 

So, it turns out, following Skye’s trail wasn’t all that difficult. She just had to follow the rumbling. Sage’s feeling of accomplishment at only having tripped once on the shaking path dulled as she entered the open doors to Raina’s hut.

 

Skye and Raina were in the middle of a screaming match. On second thought, ‘match’ was a bit of an overstatement. Skye was doing all the screaming.

 

“I didn’t deserve any of the this,” Skye hissed. “You did this to me!”

 

“Skye…” Sage started, but was interrupted by Raina. Sage had yet to see the woman up close. Her eyes widened as she took in the thorns shrouding every inch of her skin. Despite the sinister look the thorns coupled with the black, hooded cloak gave her, Sage couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the woman. All she’d ever wanted was to transition and this is what she had become.

 

Sage shook her head as she watched Raina egg Skye further on. Despite the things this woman was saying to her sister, Sage’s compassion for Raina remained true. She sighed, quickly growing exasperated with the situation. She wondered if her penchant for pitying the monsters of the world made her one too.

 

“Skye, please. Let’s just go.” Sage pleaded. Neither of the two women seemed to hear her.

 

“We’re the same, Skye. We were the same before, and we’re the same now. I am on the outside what you are on the inside,” Raina taunted, removing her hood to reveal her thorn-riddled face.

 

“No!” Skye shouted. Sage watched in horror as she went rigid, her muscles taut, and a stream of concentrated vibrations bombarded Raina, sending her to the ground in a heap.

 

When Skye didn’t relent the attack, Sage grasped her lower arm. “You need to stop!” Skye shrugged off her hand, her eyes never leaving Raina’s.

 

“Let her... finish this.” Raina sputtered, beginning to fold in on herself due to the pain.

 

This is all my fault, Sage thought, her breathing growing uneasy. She placed a sweaty, shaking hand on her chest in an attempt to slow her racing heart. Just as the room began to spin, a voice boomed throughout the hovel, halting Skye’s assault.

 

“Enough!”

 

Jiaying stood in the doorway, her presence commanding the attention of everyone in the room. Skye’s expression shifted from rage to one of confusion and Raina breathed heavily from her position on the ground, catching her breath.

 

“Who are you?” Skye marveled, as Jiaying stepped into the center of the room. Sage knew her mother well enough to recognize the look of  pure, unadulterated joy that flashed across her face at the sound of Skye’s voice. It’s the first time, she’s heard her voice in 25 years, Sage thought distantly. As quickly as she recognized the look, it was gone, Jiaying’s usual stoic, unflappable expression back in place.

 

“My name is Jiaying,” she responded simply.

 

“You don’t know her. You have no idea what she is capable of.” Skye warned, unsure of why she was so desperate for this somehow familiar stranger to believe her.

 

“She is capable of beauty and greatness,” Jiaying asserted. “Just as we all are.”

 

“She’s killed people.” Skye insisted, her voice rising.

 

“From what Gordon told me, you could have, as well. And from what I just saw, you’re certainly capable of it.” Jiaying ignored Skye’s stung expression, walking over to Raina and easing her off the ground, into a standing position.

 

Sage frowned. This is all wrong. With everyone’s attention diverted, Sage quietly slipped out of the room, shoving her shaking hands into the pockets of her gray cardigan.

 

 

* * *

 

 

One of the perks (okay, probably the only perk) of spending her entire life in the Afterlife was knowing the place inside and out. Over the years, Sage had found a myriad hiding spots no one else knew about. She cycled through them at a rate of about one per year, her latest spot of sequestration was about fifty feet from the Afterlife’s only source of water.

 

From her seated position leaning against one of the Afterlife’s hundreds of cherry blossom trees, Sage could hear the sound of the river’s flowing waters. She found the resonance soothing and let out a shaky breath, willing her nerves to attenuate. She held out one of her hands in front of her face, groaning when she saw that it was still shaking.

 

Suddenly, the blades of the grass surrounding her stood up, ramrod straight. Sage pushed her hands underneath her thighs, recognizing the signs of Gordon’s impending arrival.

 

Sure enough, the man appeared seconds later in a blaze of bright blue light, wearing his trademark beige trench coat. Over the years, Sage had tried to think of words to describe Gordon’s force-field. Magnificent, brilliant, beautiful were all she could come up with, but they didn’t seem to do it justice.

 

“Hey, kid.” Gordon grunted, taking a seat on the ground next to Sage. “You know, this is one of your better hideout choices,” he announced patting the grass. “Do you remember that time I unknowingly teleported into a tree looking for you?”

 

Sage couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “How could I forget, you complained for a month about how sore you were from the fall.”

 

“What kid finds solace in a tree?!”

 

“There was a nice view!”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Gordon grumbled halfheartedly.

 

Sage’s smile faded and she turned to look at Gordon. “I messed everything up,” she confessed sadly.

 

“No, you didn’t...”

 

Sage shook her head. “Gordon, Mom walked in on Skye basically trying to kill Raina. That was her first interaction with the daughter she’s been searching for over a quarter of century. It’s all my fault. I slipped and told Skye that Raina was here and…”

 

“Hey,” Gordon interjected. “Have I ever lied to you?”

 

“No.” Sage sniffed.

 

“Alright then, listen up.” He held out both of hands in front of the girl, palms up. Sage recognized the gesture and placed her still quivering hands in his. Gordon squeezed them gently before continuing. “You didn’t mess everything up. You need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Skye agreed to let Jiaying be her guide. They have their first training session together in a few minutes and I’m sure they’ll start to bond.”

 

“What about Raina?” Sage questioned slowly, taking in the report.

 

“She’s going to be fine, and Skye agreed to keep her distance for now.” Gordon released Sage’s hands and the girl grinned when she saw that they were no longer shaking.

 

“I’ll never understand how you do that.” She said, resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes drifting closed.

 

The two sat in a companionable silence until Sage interrupted. “Gordon?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Is Da...Calvin here, in the Afterlife?”

 

Sage felt Gordon tense slightly before he responded. “Yes, but he’s… secured at the moment. You won’t be running into him anywhere.”

 

“Good.” Sage muttered.

 

“Good?” Gordon echoed. “You don’t want to meet him?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why?”

 

Minutes of silence passed and Gordon assumed the girl had fallen asleep on him. It wasn’t the first time. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a soft voice eventually replied, “I don’t need him, I have you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, guys! 
> 
> Just so everyone knows, this story isn't going to follow along exactly with the events of the end of Season 2. I will be making some changes, as I felt the storyline with Calvin & Jiaying was a bit rushed.
> 
> Up next: Skye and Jiaying grow closer, Sage attempts to mend things with Skye, and more secrets are revealed.


	5. Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two apologies and one secret unearthed.

 

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Skye shifted, mumbling an unintelligible phrase.

_Knock. Knock._

“May, please, just five more minutes.” Skye rolled over onto her side, extending one of her arms outward. When she noticed her hand was only touching air, she opened her eyes in confusion.

Suddenly, she remembered where she was - the Afterlife, in her latest bed. This room was much larger than the one she was accustomed to at the Base. The bed was also bigger than her former Twin XL. It seemed like a lifetime ago when she first arrived in her room at the Base, when after lots of consideration she had pushed her bed against the wall to maximize the room’s minimal space and meticulously decorated (with the help of Simmons, of course).

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Skye crawled to the edge of her bed and stood up. She let out a loud yawn as she walked over to the source of the knocking. A few rays of sunlight shone through the room’s closed blinds, signaling that it was early morning.

Skye opened the door, revealing a nervous looking Sage. She was carrying a large paper brown bag and two mugs of hot coffee. Skye’s insides soared at the marvelous smell. There was a messenger bag on her shoulder and before either woman could utter a word, the bag strap began to slide off Sage’s shoulder, continuing its descent down her arm. Of course, this was the arm supporting the hand holding the coffee mugs.

 

As Sage let out a sharp gasp, Skye lunged forward, closing the gap between them. She quickly grabbed the bag strap and slid it upward, restoring it to its rightful place on the girl’s shoulder.

“Thanks.” Sage breathed. “I knew I was pushing it carrying these all the way here.” She raised the mugs slightly in acknowledgement. Skye’s hand was still resting on Sage’s shoulder, and she guided the girl into her room with it.

“Why did you?’ Skye asked, taking the coffee mugs and placing them on a nearby wooden table.

“I figured we could have breakfast and … talk.”

Skye took in the girl’s slightly red eyes, disheveled hair and the yawn she was failing miserably at stifling. “How long have you been up?”

Sage’s mouth dropped open in shock. “One hour.” At Skye’s look of doubt, she amended her statement. “Okay, two hours. I didn’t want to wake you up too early. I figured you’d be tired.”

“You figured right. What time is it?”

“Eight.”

Skye groaned. “You’re lucky you brought coffee, kid.” At Sage’s small smile, she continued. “But, I’m glad you came. I’m…”

“I’m sorry for lying to you about Raina,” Sage burst out.

Skye shook her head. “Don’t be. Considering how I reacted to her being here, you were right to keep it to yourself. I… I hope I didn’t scare you too much.”

“No worries, I’ve seen worse.”

Skye knew the comment was meant to be reassuring, but she frowned. _What could be worse than seeing me nearly kill someone with death by vibration? She thought._

Sage hesitated. “So … we’re good?”

Skye wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders and squeezed. “Of course,” she assured. Sage shot her a jubilant grin and Skye smiled back before ruffling her hair. “I think it looks better now.” She quipped.

Sage shot her a glare, before tilting her head in thought. “Actually, you’re probably right.” She laughed. It was a soft, sudden noise, over almost as soon as it began. Nonetheless, it stirred an unidentifiable emotion in Skye’s chest.

Skye unpacked the food Sage brought over: pancakes, eggs, and sausage. “Why don’t we eat this on the bed?”

“Great idea. Oh!” Sage exclaimed, opening her messenger bag and pulling out a laptop. “I figured we could watch Netflix or something.”

“You watch Netflix here?”

Sage smirked at Skye’s stunned expression. “There isn’t much else to do.”

Five minutes later, the duo were settled on Skye’s bed, each with a plate of food in hand. “This is really good.” Skye announced between bites. “Did you cook this?”

“Yeah, I picked it up over the years.”

“Cool.” Skye gestured at the laptop sitting on top of a pillow in front of them. “Anything you want to watch?”

Sage shrugged. “I’m pretty much up for anything.”

“Okay. My friends got me into a show called Doctor Who. We can pick up where I left off? I’ll explain it as we…”

“No need!” Sage interrupted. “I may be _slightly_ obsessed with that show. I’m always down to watch it.”

Skye shook her head as Sage searched for the show on Netflix. Sage reminded her a lot of Simmons and even Fitz, pre-Hydra. “Why aren’t I surprised?”

 

* * *

 

Sage had dozed off at some point in the middle of Season Four, Episode Three of the show. She jerked awake at a particularly loud sound from the laptop.

“Welcome back to the living. I didn’t realize Transitioners were allowed to sleep on the job,” Skye teased.

Sage stretched, sighing contently. She stuck her tongue out at Skye in response to her comment. “That was a glorious nap.”

Skye paused the show. “I meant to ask you this earlier. Any word about when I’ll be able to contact my friends?”

“Not yet. I spoke to Gordon about it yesterday, though. The Elders are hesitant because of the risk of exposure. Staying under the radar is like the number one rule of this place.”

“I understand.” Skye sighed. “Speaking of mysterious Inhumans. I met my Guide yesterday.”

“I heard. Umm. How’d it go?” Sage said slowly.

“You know, at first she seemed very rigid and I didn’t think we’d get along at all. But then, we had our first training session.” Skye nodded, decisively. “I like her.” With a smug smile, she leaned back against the pillows on the bed that were propping her up. “I caused an avalanche.”

Sage’s eyes bulged. “Is that a good thing?”

“Yes.” A minute later, Skye nugged Sage with her elbow. “So what’s Jiaying’s deal? I’m relying on you as my source of Afterlife gossip.”

After the events of yesterday, Sage decided to remain as close to the truth as possible when dealing with Skye. She obviously couldn’t tell her about her true parentage yet, but everything else was fair game. Well, _mostly_ everything, at least.

“She pretty much runs the place,” Sage began. “And, she doesn’t train people often so I’m sure she likes you.”

“She seemed very familiar,” Skye confessed.

Sage’s heart dropped and she struggled to remain cool. “Which leads me to my third point! She’s ... my mother.”

“Wow.” Skye gasped. “That explains the deja vu.”

“Yeah...” Sage chuckled nervously, letting out a deep breath.

 

* * *

 

The next stop on Sage’s apology tour was Raina. When she received no answer after numerous knocks on the woman’s door, she pushed it open and stepped inside. She saw Raina sitting on her bed, absentmindedly stroking one of the thorns adorning her arm. When the woman noticed Sage, she donned her black hood.

“What do you want? Gordon’s not here anymore, you just missed him.”

“I… I want to apologize about yesterday.”

“Good.” Raina muttered bitterly. “If it weren’t for you, Skye would’ve put me out of my misery.”

“I’m not sorry about that.” Sage said firmly. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t stop her from hurting you.”

Raina shrugged. “Honestly, I had it coming. I said what I said yesterday to bait her into attacking me.”

“Ra…”

“This is some sort of cosmic karma.” Raina ranted. “Every moment I’m awake, I am in constant pain.”

Sage paused, wracking her brain for something positive to say. “If you’re having trouble sleeping, I can get you something...”

“Sleep is easy,” Raina declared. “It’s the relentless nightmares that make the process unbearable. I’m always being hunted like an animal tangled in thorns, or I dream of Skye and her father at dinner with champagne and a bouquet of daisies, and she’s so happy. She got everything and I got thorns.”

“Raina, I know things seem difficult now, but eventually your true gifts will reveal themselves. I refuse to believe that the thorns are the whole story, and you shouldn’t either.” Raina looked away, giving no visible reaction to Sage’s words. Sage turned to leave, but quickly came to a halt. “You… You mentioned Skye’s dad? Did you know him?”

“He found me years ago, when I was a beggar in the streets of Thailand. Simpler times.” Raina said, wistfully. “He told me that I was an Inhuman and promised to help me transition if I got him his daughter. He was… he was sick. That formula kept messing with his head…”

“What formula?” Sage urged.

Raina blinked slowly, and Sage observed just how weary the woman looked. “It doesn’t matter,” she hissed. “He’s vile and I wish I never met him. I thought he cared about me, but he never did. He only cared about finding his _beloved daughter_ ,” Raina spat.

Sage took a step back. “I’m…”

Raina’s expression shifted into a look of utter despair, beckoning Sage forward. “I saw him, after I transitioned. I… I’d been thinking about ending it for a while… but he actually said it aloud. I begged him to help me, I told him I couldn’t live as this … r-repulsive creature and he just said ‘Don’t’.”

Before Sage received her powers, she had idolized her father despite having never met him. Jiaying had always been vague about his whereabouts, only telling her that he was searching for her sister. Sage _revered_ him for it, viewing him as the hero in the quest for her family’s reunification.

However, after the nightmares began, Sage suddenly realized why her mother had surrendered looking for Skye: the search wasn’t a hero’s journey, it was an _abominable hunt_. Still, she tried to justify Calvin’s actions. After all, the events she kept reliving were from over twenty years ago, before she was born. Surely, he couldn’t still be up to the nefarious acts now.

Sage took a seat next to Raina on the edge of the woman’s bed and watched as her shoulders quaked with sobs. Her eyes remained dry and Sage realized distantly that Raina was unable to form tears.  

With each jolt of Raina’s trembling frame, Sage’s noble personification of Calvin further crumbled.

 

* * *

 

Skye checked the time and saw that she still had an hour to kill before her next training session with Jiaying. Presently, she was sprawled out on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Sage’s laptop lie across from her, taunting her with its presence.

The laptop clearly had internet access, which was all she needed to relay a message to S.H.I.E.L.D. and find out if her friends were okay. The only thing stopping her was the laptop’s owner, Sage. Despite the short time they’d known each other, Skye had grown very fond of the girl. She didn’t want to betray her trust. _Especially after yesterday._

Still, May had sounded frazzled during her short phone call to Skye warning her of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s impending arrival and it was absolutely unnerving. Something horrible had to be happening, and with each passing day, the scenarios developing in Skye’s mind worsened. Plus, her talk with Sage hours earlier hadn’t been reassuring in the slightest that the Inhumans would let her make contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. soon.

Skye sat up, exhaling deeply. Her mind was made up. She would send Coulson a message, but make sure it was untraceable. The last thing she needed was a S.H.I.E.L.D team showing up in the Afterlife.

Shooting a nervous look at her room’s entranceway, Skye opened Sage’s laptop. She quickly deduced that it had minimal security and that the hack shouldn’t take too long. First, she needed to make sure the laptop was secure enough to access S.H.I.E.L.D.’s cavernous emergency messaging channel.

Minutes later, while in the middle of a security scan of the laptop’s encrypted hard drive, a folder name intercepted Skye’s attention. Despite her attempts to ignore the contents of the laptop in order to preserve Sage’s privacy, she couldn’t help but notice the folder entitled **_Daisy_**.

_This cannot be a coincidence_ , Skye thought. She checked the folder’s creation date and saw that it was made over a month ago. Before she could change her mind, she quickly bypassed the folder’s security and opened it.

The blanket of uneasiness, which had been slowly settling over her throughout the hack, blossomed into bewilderment as she sifted through numerous files about New York State adoption and foster care privacy laws, news articles about deserted children from over 26 years ago, and finally _St. Agnes Orphanage_.

Skye slammed the laptop shut, one thought reverberating throughout her head. _Why was Sage looking for me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this latest chapter. There is loads more to come!
> 
> Up Next: Cal is in the building!


	6. A Johnson Family Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye learns the truth (well, most of it) and the Johnson family gathers in one room for the first time (ever).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I'm so sorry for the ridiculously long wait. To make up for it, this chapter is extra extra long!

 

Calvin “Cal” Johnson restlessly paced the length of his makeshift cell. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been here – all the days began to blur together and there was no window. His food seemed to be brought at random times to further confuse him.

He assumed he was in close proximity to the Afterlife, but given that Gordon could teleport anywhere in the world, he wasn’t sure how reasonable an assumption that was.

At the thought of Gordon, he eyed his re-bandaged hands. They still ached from their most recent confrontation. The man had scared him into submission – for now. He knew that the only way Gordon would let him see Jiaying was if he quelled his unhinged temper.

So he did.

After Gordon left, Cal picked himself up and channeled his energy into removing the traces of his latest outburst from the room. He stacked all the splintered wood, from the bookcase he’d thrown, into a neat pile. The books were arranged _alphabetically_ next to them. He scrubbed his blood off the walls. He even made up his bed.

As Calvin sat on the bed with a sigh, he contemplated his next move. During the past 25 years they had been clear: _Find Jiaying. Kill Whitehall. Find Daisy. Kill anyone who got in his way…_ but now he wasn’t so sure.

The sound of crackling electricity filled the room. Cal jumped up in time to see Jiaying and Gordon arrive. Gordon gave Jiaying a wary look, but she shook her head. Gordon sneered at Calvin, a look of warning, before disappearing in a streak of bright blue light.

Cal’s heart skipped a beat as he beheld the love of his life. He had not seen her in almost 21 years but… _Wow._ She looked as beautiful as she did the first time he saw her. _More beautiful even._ Cal shifted, suddenly aware of his mortality. How old, how _damaged_ , how _crazed_ he must look to her now.

Calvin dared a step forward. “I was right, wasn’t I? She’s here. I told you I would find her, and I did,” he breathed. To his surprise, Jiaying strode forward, closing the gap between them.

“You were right, Cal. It’s Daisy, our daughter.” Jiaying smiled, and some mangled, long-forgotten part of himself stirred. Those were the words he’d always hoped, dreamed he would hear from her. When Jiaying reached forward and wrapped her arms around him, he froze. He stood, rooted to the ground, afraid even the slightest movement would alert her to fact that she was holding a monster.

“Thank you.” Her voiced cracked on the last word, and he felt his eyes water at the feeling of her breath against his cheek. Cal took a chance and risked burying his chin into her shoulder. He sighed contently at the feeling.

“Can I see her?” Calvin felt Jiaying stiffen at his words and release him. He watched sadly, as she took two steps backwards. The space between them felt like an abyss.

“There’s something you need to know. But, I need you to stay calm when I tell you.”

Cal stood up straighter, bracing himself and trying desperately to emit an illusion of calmness. Jiaying resumed talking. “When we… when I...” She paused and Calvin recognized the look of frustration on her face.

“It’s okay,” he said starting towards her, but she held up a hand, and he stopped, immediately.

“It’s _not_.” She ground out. She breathed deeply before continuing. “Soon after I left you and arrived at the Afterlife, I realized that I was with child – pregnant with _your_ child, again.”

“Did you… did it…” Calvin stuttered, cursing the hope that was starting to flutter in his chest.

“Yes. Her name is Sage.”

_Sage._

_He had another daughter._

_Sage._

_Sage._

Cal could feel his heart pounding loudly – too fast, his ears were ringing as thousands of thoughts burst into mind at once.

“Why?” He pleaded. “Wh..Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know where you were.” Jiaying said weakly.

Cal willed himself not to move, as he eyed her sharply. “Gordon could have found me anywhere.”

Jiaying nodded, conceding. Her eyes pierced into his. “Would it have made a difference?” Before he could answer she amended, “You made me a promise, made Daisy a promise, and you couldn’t be a… father to Sage and fulfill that vow at the same time. I… didn’t want you to have to make a choice like that. So I made it for you. I would give Sage what was left of me, and you…”

“Daisy would have me.” Cal guessed. He ran a hand through his black hair in contemplation. Jiaying watched him carefully.

A full minute passed before Cal stuttered softly, “I… I wouldn’t have been able to leave a second daughter behind.”

“I know.”

“You did… the right thing.” He insisted, slowly. “In the end, I found her… Daisy is home now.” Jiaying nodded, but he knew from the lost look in her eyes that the decision had haunted her.

“Maybe now… Do you think…” He trailed off, trying to lessen the desperateness in his voice. He failed, but Jiaying seemed to read his mind.

She clenched her jaw and righted herself. “It’s up to them.”

                                                       

* * *

 

 

Even after her gut-wrenching conversation with Calvin earlier today, Jiaying still had no intention of informing Dai… informing Skye about her true parentage. Nevertheless, here she was… 

Jiaying and her daughter were about five minutes into their second training session. This time, they met in Skye’s room. Jiaying meticulously arranged eight glasses of water in a line on the room’s only table. Next, she wet one of her fingers and gently rubbed it around the rim of one of the glasses, causing it to yield a high pitched note. Jiaying barely hid a smile at the sight of Skye crouched, her hands on her knees, in preparation for whatever was next.

She instructed Skye to use her powers to hold the note, which the girl quickly did. Soon she had all eight glasses simultaneously ringing in harmony with the first glass. Jiaying was glowing with pride.

Then all eight glasses shattered and Skye, suddenly, looked so scared, so _horrified_ … Jiaying had tried to channel her inner Sage – her inner Cal – and crack a joke to make light of the situation, but Skye didn’t seem to hear it.

So, she’d asked Skye what was wrong, pressed her into revealing why the sight of the broken glasses had caused her to freeze up.

As Skye recounted the story of how she broke a crystal decanter at a foster home and was swiftly sent back to the orphanage, as a result, Jiaying struggled to mask her festering rage.

It was always there – the rage – every day after she’d left Cal, she fought against it. Fought to not let it win, fought to not let it transform her. If it weren’t for Sage, she wasn’t sure where she’d be, and now she had Daisy, as well.

Skye seemed unable to stop herself as she launched into a rant. Each new piece of information she revealed felt like a blow to Jiaying.

_Something bad seems to happen whenever I feel settled somewhere._

_I’ve never spent more than two years anywhere._

_The second I made friends at the orphanage, gone._

_God forbid, I called a foster family home, it was ‘pack your bags.’_

_I got the news on my birthday once … which is a complete farce, because I don’t even know when I was born._

_S.H.I.E.L.D. was the closest I ever came to having a family. I belonged there. I saw what I could be. Even that ended with agents hunting me through the woods._

“We’re _not_ going to turn on you, _or_ abandon you.” Jiaying said firmly, unable to remain quiet any longer. “This is a safe place.”

Skye smiled bitterly in response. “You say that, but I know you all aren’t being _straight_ with me…” Jiaying looked away, willing herself not to respond. “…Why do you care whether I stay or go, and why are you tr-”

“July 2nd.”

The words were out. There was no taking them back. She found herself recounting the story of her eldest daughter’s birth to _her eldest daughter_ , tears flowing down her scar-ridden face.

“It’s you.” Skye stammered. “You’re my mo…”

“Deep down, I think you knew.” Jiaying interrupted, not equipped to hear Daisy say the word just yet. She recalled the look of awe Skye gave her yesterday when she’d stopped her from injuring Raina.

Skye nodded, her own eyes watering.  “I was too afraid to hope.”

 

* * *

 

Sage absentmindedly followed the familiar path to Skye’s residence. Her thoughts were battling against each other.

Both of her parents had murdered, tortured, and maimed countless peoples for four years after Skye was kidnapped. Jiaying had stopped, but Calvin continued for 21 more years… until he found Skye.

Clearly, his methods had worked. But did the end justify the means?

Sage had seen, touched, and heard Calvin and her mother’s victims numerous times during the past month via her nightmares. But, somehow, _knowing_ one – knowing Raina, made the reality of her parents’ – her father’s – actions harder to stomach.

Sage’s thoughts halted, and she stopped short ten yards from her destination. She stood frozen as she took in the sight of her mother and Skye locked in an embrace. They were standing on the patio in front of Skye’s room.

Skye was facing away from Sage, but she could make out her mother’s face clearly. Her eyes were closed and tears were running down her face. Sage had _never_ seen her mother cry, so she _knew_ something big must have occurred between them.

_Skye knows_ , Sage realized with a jolt.

Before she could think to move, she felt someone’s eyes on her. She looked up to find Jiaying staring at her from over Skye’s shoulder.

Jiaying opened her mouth to say something, but Sage quickly shook her head, backing away from the scene.

 

* * *

 

 

Skye felt Jiaying stiffen and pulled away from the hug to inquire what was wrong.

She looked at her… mother… and saw that she seemed to be staring off into space. Skye turned to see what had captured Jiaying’s attention and saw Sage’s retreating form.

_Sage._

Skye realized she must have whispered the name aloud, when Jiaying’s gaze abruptly snapped toward her.

“Sage is my…”

“I know.” Skye whispered. “She told me that you are her mother. Th…that makes her my …”

“Your little sister.” Jiaying finished with a smile.

Skye couldn’t believe it.

She had always wanted a sibling.

She’d always been jealous of the sibling relationships she witnessed in her numerous foster homes. Underneath the countless fights, bouts of teasing, and incessant tattling was a promise. A promise of unconditional love no matter what, forever.

She understood what true friendship was, thanks to Simmons and Fitz, but siblinghood… sisterhood… was something else entirely. She’d always wanted that…

_But._  

_But_ maybe Sage didn’t. That would explain why she was walking away. Why Skye had found that hidden folder on her computer. A folder she had a growing suspicion that Jiaying knew nothing about.

“When did you… is Cal…?” Skye trailed off, unsure if she was asking questions that were none of her business. Jiaying, however, didn’t seem even the slightest bit perturbed.

“It’s a long story.” Jiaying began. “You, your father, and I stayed in a small village in China. The residents of the village new my secret and regarded me as their Elder. Your father was doctor, with his own clinic in the village.” Jiaying smiled wistfully, at the memory.

Her face became grave as she continued. “When you were eleven months old, HYDRA raided the village with the guise of S.H.I.E.L.D. looking for me. They captured me.” Jiaying shook her head, refusing to allow herself to be swept away with memories.

“Your father left you in the care of the villagers. He didn’t realize that they were the ones who informed HYDRA of my gift. He found me and…” Jiaying gestured at herself, _at her scars_ , and Skye nodded in understanding.

“When we got back to find that you were gone… we snapped. We were ruthless in hunting you. One morning, forty months later, I woke up and barely recognized myself. Your father was buried in the new horrible man he had become. He couldn’t admit that our baby was gone. I thought I had to accept it and I left. I came back to the Afterlife, only to discover that I was pregnant with Sage… I didn’t think it was possible to conceive after everything Reinhart did to me, but… over the years I continued to heal.”

“Wow.” Skye breathed, her mind reeling. “I’m so sorry.”

Jiaying placed both of her hands on Skye’s cheeks, gently cupping them. “It’s not your fault,” she assured, pulling her in for another hug.

Skye went willingly.

 

* * *

 

 

Gordon frowned when he saw Sage enter the cafeteria. He looked over at Alisha, who was helping him serve the deep-dish pizza he’d just brought in from Chicago to all the eager Inhumans.

“I’ll be right back. Can you cover for me?”

“Sure.” She replied, easily. She blinked and another Alisha stood next to him, already starting to continue his work of plating the pizza slices.

“Thanks,” Gordon said, shaking his head as he walked towards Sage. He would never get used to her splitting ability – the power to replicate and control multiple versions of herself.

“What are you doing here?” Gordon questioned as soon as he was within earshot of Sage.

Sage stared at him blankly. “It’s pizza night,” she shrugged.

“I thought you’d be at the dinner.”

“What dinner?”

“The one with Jiaying, Calvin, and Skye…” Gordon trailed off, perplexed. He quickly deduced that Sage had no idea what he was referring to. “Jiaying was looking for you earlier. I gave her the location of your hideout. I assumed she’d found you and told you about it.”

“I picked a new spot.” Sage groaned. “She probably couldn’t find me.” She looked up at Gordon. “What should I do?” she said, hopelessly.

“Don’t do anything you don’t want to.” Gordon instructed. “Last time we spoke, you didn’t seem like you wanted to see Calvin anytime soon.”

“I wouldn’t go for _him_. I’d do it for Skye.” She said determinedly. “I didn’t imagine seeing her for the first time after she found out this way, but… that dinner seems like a lot to handle on her own.”

Gordon shot her a conspiratorial grin. “Then crash it.”

Sage smiled back and went to leave. Halfway to door, she stopped suddenly and turned back, walking towards him. He quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

“I should probably bring pizza with me, so I don’t look like a total chump.”

 

* * *

 

 

Skye stood with Jiaying, nervously eyeing the door separating them from dinner with Cal. After the wonderful day she’d spent with her mother, it seemed wrong to deny her single request to meet with him.

“Are you sure it’s the right thing? If this is some weird lesson…”

“It’s not a lesson. This is personal, a debt I owe to your father. And if you trust me in this, I’ll be eternally grateful.”

“He’s a monster.” Skye sighed, torn.

“He was _good_ once. Cal lost himself to a promise he made me out of love. Now he’s made good.”

“That should not mean all is forgiven.”

“No.” Jiaying agreed. “But he _never_ gave up on you. He deserves something for that. Just one dinner and then you’ll never have to see him again. I’ll have him taken away from here.”

“You promise?”

“Yes.”

 

* * *

 

 

Calvin struggled to keep it together at the sight of his wife and eldest daughter. Envisioning _this_ reunion had gotten him through his _darkest_ moments. He couldn’t believe it was actually happening now.

He gripped the bouquet of daises tightly in his hands. “I’d wanted so badly to make everything perfect tonight. And suddenly, it is.” He took a step towards Daisy, trying to appear as unthreatening as possible, and handed her the flowers. “These are for you.  I want to thank you, both of you,” he added glancing at Jiaying, “for giving me another shot. I know that my actions…”

Cal glanced up in pleasant surprise when Daisy cut into his painstakingly-prepared speech.

“I learned who my mother and sister were today, and my mother taught me things. I’ve never had that before. That was possible because of you.”

Cal struggled to speak, his throat sealing with emotion. “That’s all I really wanted for you,” he confessed, softly.

Jiaying chimed in to lift the resulting silence filling the room, as the father and daughter took each other in. “Cal, Skye doesn’t know when her birthday is.”

Calvin’s expression was one of shock and Skye couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his eyes nearly bulging from his head.

Cal could not contain his enthusiasm as he recounted the best day of his life. He floated around the room, pulling Skye and Jiaying’s chairs out for them, and then pouring them both a glass of champagne before taking his own seat.

“Wait, I’m 26?!” Skye exclaimed. “That’s so messed up,” she chuckled. She looked from Cal to Jiaying and quickly noticed that the gleeful mood of the room was shifting to one of sorrow.

“Sorry,” she apologized. She swiftly picked up her glass. “To 26,” she toasted.

“Here’s to 26,” Jiaying and Calvin echoed, each smiling radiantly.

 

* * *

 

 

Sage gripped the box of pizza tightly, steeling her nerves as she walked into the dining room of her home with Jiaying.

When she saw that her parents and Skye were in the middle of a toast, she understood that she was wholly unprepared for the case that the dinner would _actually_ be going well upon her arrival.

She couldn’t help but stare at her father as he resumed talking. He was smiling and laughing. He looked _brighter_ and older than she’d ever seen him. Nothing like the monster of her nightmares.

It was unnerving.

Thankfully, none of her family members had noticed her presence in the room. Before she could will her legs to retreat, she noticed the daisies resting on the corner of the dining table, next to Skye.

Raina’s words from their earlier conversation reverberated throughout her head.

_I dream of Skye and her father at dinner, a bouquet of daises, and she’s so happy…_

Sage was painfully familiar with dreams that weren’t _only_ dreams. _Raina can see the future?!_

Sage could only stare in muted horror as the pizza box fell from her hands and onto the floor with a _THUMP._ She slowly lifted her head to see three pairs of eyes studying her, each face donning a different, unreadable expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up Next: The Johnsons struggle to understand each other's actions.


	7. Understandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A family dinner & a confrontation. What could go wrong?

Sage hastily retrieved the pizza box from the floor, cursing her existence. “Hi!” She said, thrusting it in the direction of her…family.

 

“Tonight was pizza night. I mean tonight _is_ pizza night since… you know it’s still… tonight.”

 

Jiaying cleared her throat: the sign the mother and daughter had developed as a signal that Sage was rambling in the presence of mixed company.

 

“Gordon mentioned that Mom was looking for me and that you’d all be here so… I brought pizza,” Sage murmured. Silence filled the room for a few seconds, until a sudden movement from the table caused Sage to jump. Calvin stood from his seat and slowly walked towards Sage.

 

“Both of my daughters in one room! This is amazing!” He held out his hands for the pizza, and a dumbstruck Sage gave it to him. He placed the box on the table, and moved to the empty chair between Skye and Jiaying, across from his own seat. Cal pulled out the chair and gestured Sage over. Once she sat, he gently slid her chair in closer to the table and returned to his own seat.

 

“I’m so glad you’re here, Sage.” He pronounced her name carefully, as if he was testing it out, and beamed at the sound of it.

 

Sage shot her mother a panicked look. Jiaying nodded and Sage’s gaze returned to Calvin. “Thank you,” she whispered and somehow Calvin’s smile grew brighter.

 

Calvin launched into a story about Skye’s early days at home, following her and Jiaying’s return from the hospital. Sage tried to follow it, but between pushing around the food on her plate, taking in as many details about her father’s appearance as she could, and shooting curious looks at Skye, she only managed to catch every other sentence.

 

This version of her father certainly smiled a lot. He also did a fair amount of laughing. Sage was positive but nonetheless surprised, to see that the majority of her awkward tendencies came from Calvin. _Definitely the rambling._

 

Sage’s thoughts drifted to Skye. She wondered how her sister was holding up. Skye seemed to be embracing the moment. She was soaking up every detail Cal and Jiaying offered from their time together in China, after Skye was born. She even asked a few questions of her own – the clarification of a missing detail or an inquiry into what her parents were thinking during a particular moment.

 

Sage didn’t want to feel the twitches of envy or spasms of insecurity, but hearing how happy her parents were when Skye was born, reminded her of the circumstances of her own birth. Jiaying had never mentioned it to Sage, but over the past month she had pieced together the details:

 

Sage was conceived in a moment of grief. She was inconsequential, the product of a tragedy.

 

Would she even exist if Skye were never taken?

 

Suddenly, Sage realized the conversation at the table had ceased. She glanced up from her food and saw that her mother, father, and sister were peering at her with varying degrees of concern.

 

“Sage, are you alright?” Jiaying asked.

 

“Yeah, sorry. I must have zoned out for a second there.”

 

“Calvin was curious about your powers.”

 

“Your mother mentioned that you recently underwent Terrigenesis.” Calvin added, barely containing his excitement to hear whatever answer Sage would give.

 

Sage attempted to muster a reassuring smile for her family members – Jiaying and Skye both still looked worried for her mental state – but she was pretty sure it was more of a wince. Sage had been squelching any thoughts of her powers, more specifically, the morbid events in her parents’ past they’d made her aware of, for the duration of this dinner.

 

 “Oh,” Sage chuckled nervously, tucking a strand of her short, brown hair behind her ear. “They’re not all that interesting. Especially compared to Skye’s or mom’s.”

 

Cal didn’t blink. “I’m sure they’re awesome!”

 

“She’s totally being modest.” Skye added, shaking her head.

 

“Uhh. I have psychometry.” At Calvin’s blank look, she continued. “Basically, when I touch an object I can see its history – I kind of become its past users and momentarily feel what they’re thinking. The more emotion the object’s user felt while… using it, the stronger I get sucked in.”

 

“Wow.” Cal marveled. “I was right. That is _awesome_!” Sage shrugged and Cal’s look of pride morphed into one of confusion. He glanced from Sage to Jiaying, taking in both of their solemn expressions. “What am I missing?”

 

Sage verbally floundered, unwilling to breach this particular topic.

 

Thankfully, Jiaying had an instant response. “Cal, do you remember your old medical tool kit? The one that belonged to your father.” Cal nodded. “I kept it here in the Afterlife, and gave it to Sage years ago. I never thought much about it afterwards… When Sage emerged from the mist it took us a month to figure out what her powers were. She did not exhibit any outward changes; no objects were physically impacted by her presence…”

 

The fact that her mother was clearly struggling, her usually invincible countenance slipping, gave Sage the courage to recount the story’s last details to her father. “Every few weeks I would count the tools in the bag, rearrange them, clean them… imagine you saving people with them. But, umm … this particular time I saw you, using them to fix Mom, after she… after HYDRA...”

 

Cal’s face darkened at the mention of the organization. The youngest Johnson nearly flinched at the sight, but Skye chose that exact moment to place a reassuring hand on Sage’s knee under the dinner table. Sage felt herself relax at the touch.

 

Jiaying shot Calvin a warning look, and he took a breath to calm himself.

 

“I’m so sorry, Sage,” Skye sputtered. “That’s… I can’t imagine.”

 

“It’s okay.” Sage said. She sought out Cal’s eyes for the first time. When he finally looked at her, she added, “I’m fine, now. I know Mom is okay.” The former part of the statement was a bold-faced lie, but Calvin didn’t need to know that.

 

“You’re strong, like your mother and sister.” Calvin observed, his more upbeat demeanor starting to return.

 

“She is.” Jiaying confirmed. Eager to fully lift the downcast mood from the room, she turned to her husband. “Cal, I never told Sage the story of how we met. Skye hasn’t heard it either.”

 

“Girls, prepare yourselves. This is quite the tale! I was a member of Doctors without Borders and went to this small village in China where I met your mother…”

 

* * *

 

  

The impromptu Johnson family dinner eventually came to a close. Jiaying was currently escorting Cal back to his ‘room,’ but before leaving, she’d given Sage a pointed look and instructed her to give Skye a tour of their home in her absence.

 

“What a night.” Sage breathed, flopping down onto her bed. Skye stood in the doorway of the girl’s room. She was leaning against the adjacent wall with her arms crossed. She watched the bed bounce a few times in the wake of Sage’s impact, her head titled slightly in thought.

 

Skye’s eyes zeroed in on Sage’s now still form. The two made eye contact for a few tense seconds until Sage shifted uncomfortably and looked away.

 

“You’re mad I didn’t tell you.” Sage didn’t intend for the statement to come out as a question, but her voice went up an octave at the end.

                                                                                                      

Skye shook her head. “It’s not that simple…”

               

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Jiaying or myself being related to you. And I know that I probably seem super sketchy after this and the whole Raina situation, but in both cases I didn’t feel like they were my secrets to tell...” Sage trailed off when she saw that her heartfelt apology only seemed to be making Skye angrier.

 

“Why did you come to the dinner tonight?” Skye questioned, evenly.

 

“Honestly, when Gordon told me about it… I imagined the worst. I figured it would be a lot for one person to deal with on their own.”

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

“Skye, I’m not sure what you want me to say here.” Sage muttered, pulling out a stray thread from her bedspread.

 

Skye sighed. She didn’t intend to confront Sage about the files she found on her laptop earlier tonight. Today had been one of the longest days of her life.

 

She’d discovered that her mother was alive and that she had a younger sister. She had dinner with said mother and sister, plus her criminal, violent, murdering but also… sweet father.

 

She was tired and emotionally exhausted.

 

Plus, after hearing about Sage’s horrible experience with her powers during dinner, she had no intention of making the girl more upset tonight. Ever since she laid eyes on her, she’d felt some latent protective instinct stir in her chest. Sage had seemed so innocent. So genuine, quirky, and kind-hearted that she just needed to be protected.

 

Maybe some part of her knew how they were connected.

 

Even so, presently, Skye couldn’t reconcile that version of Sage with the one across from her. The one who lied … and kept life-altering discoveries to herself. And as a result, here they were, at a crossroads.

 

Skye steeled her nerves and willed herself not to pull the punch, just this once. “I want you to say that you haven’t known how to find me for the past month. That you didn’t keep me from my family. That if I had not experienced that freak encounter with the obelisk in that Kree Temple, I would still be _here_ and know Jiaying and _you_!”

 

Sage paled as her heart dropped to her feet. She stood on shaky legs, and Skye almost reached out to steady her. “You looked through my laptop.”

 

“It wasn’t on purpose. I was … trying to send my friends a message.”

 

“You seriously were trying to contact S.H.I.E.L.D. from _my laptop_? Skye, I told you to wait until Gordon gave the okay. If they had traced your message and discovered the location of the Afterlife… do you know what the Elders would have done to you?!”

 

“Sage. You’re missing the point.” Skye groaned. “How’d you find me? Were you in contact with Cal?”

 

“No.”

 

“Okay, then what happened?"

 

“Listen, Skye, I get that you want answers, but I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

 

“And I don’t want to be arguing with my si – … with you, Sage. But here we are, so **spill**.”

 

Sage retook her seat on the bed, slumped in defeat. She paused, considering how to even begin this story. Skye observed her carefully.

 

“A month ago, once we figured out what my powers were, Mom gave me your baby blanket. She wanted me to use it to figure out which orphanage the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who took you, dropped you off at. I told her that I couldn’t get a read of it, but I did. I … I created the file and started compiling as much information as I could about St. Agnes Orphanage. I’m not very good with computers, but I got Gordon to take me to New York two weeks ago. He didn’t know why we were really there. It took a lot of trial and error, but I picked up a trail.”

 

“Were you ever going to tell Jiaying what you found?”

 

“No.”

 

Skye couldn’t keep the emotion from her voice. “How could you make that decision without even knowing me? Was the idea of me so horrible?”

 

“Skye.” Sage’s eyes began to water. “It was nothing like that. You have to understand, I’ve known about you my whole life, and I’ve always dreamed of meeting you one day. I would’ve given anything for you to be a part of our family. You’ve only been here a few days and Mom is happier than I’ve ever seen her.”

 

“What changed?”

 

“I never told Mom this, but I saw other… past events involving Calvin’s medical tools, after my initial vision of him...” Skye nodded to indicate see knew what Sage was referring to. “The later incidents involving the tools, specifically the scalpel, came later in my dreams and, Skye, they were… they were horrible. The things Calvin and Jiaying did to people…”

 

Skye took a seat next to Sage on the bed, and Sage continued, turning to face her. “I’ve obviously known Jiaying all my life, but it’s still very hard to face her every day after seeing what she’s done. Anyway… I mean, I know it wasn’t my decision to make, but I wanted to see what kind of life you had before involving you in all of this. I know Jiaying and Calvin love you, but there’s a deep darkness in them. It’s all _so_ messed up. You deserve better.”

 

“Oh, Sage,” Skye whispered, momentarily speechless. She reached out and gently wiped away a few of the girl’s tears that had fallen during her confession. She placed a hand on Sage’s leg as she gathered her thoughts. “What about you?”

 

At Sage’s subsequent shrug, Skye resumed speaking. “You deserve better too,” she said, firmly. “And, you do not deserve to go through this alone.”

 

“Maybe,” Sage hesitated, looking away.  She tried to keep the longing from her voice. “I… do you think… you’ll stick around? I’d understand if you were… freaked by all of this.”

 

Skye dragged Sage into her arms, securing her in a warm embrace. “Sage, you’re my little sister. You are stuck with me.”

 

“Promise?” Skye almost didn’t hear Sage from where she had tucked her head into Skye’s shoulder. She felt the girl’s arms wrap around her middle.

 

Skye squeezed her tighter, in response. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! 
> 
> I'm sorry about the long wait. This is my last semester of college, and things have been super hectic. I should be able to update more regularly soon, though!
> 
> \- Also how awesome has this second half of season 3 of Agents of Shield been?! I was so sad to see Bobbi and Hunter go, but I am looking forward to all the May/Simmons interactions next week!
> 
> Next Chapter: S.H.I.E.L.D and HYDRA make an appearance and ruin everything... maybe?


End file.
